A Piece of Memory
by Yuhiri
Summary: Just when The Pharaoh, Yugi and the Others have completed the puzzle behind Atem's past, they thought wrong. His memories were incomplete, and Zorc is prophesied to return until they purge the 'seed of evil. Somebody followed the Pharaoh for 3,000 years. And Aya's memories is the key to finding the seed.
1. Chapter 1: A Piece of the Puzzle

**CHAPTER I**

** A piece of the puzzle**

The seven Millenium Items have finally been assembled, and the eighth key has been unlocked. The Nameless Pharaoh has finally remembered, and by his name, the gods have been summoned upon to purge evil. It is now time to return the pieces of the past to where it belongs. It was now time for the Pharaoh to journey to the spirit world.

However, the puzzle has not been completed yet.

After returning from the world of the Pharaoh's memories, Yugi Moto, Joey Wheeler, Tea Gardner, Tristan Taylor, Seto Kaiba and Ishizu and Marik Ishtar are now standing in front of the Weiji Eye—the gate to the spirit world. It is now time to send the Pharaoh to the place where he belongs: the afterlife.

The Pharaoh's spirit has been sealed inside the Millenium Puzzle for 3,000 years, a sacrifice he made in order to seal away the great evil Zorc. After willfully losing his memories to keep the evil form breaking free, he has finally recovered everything. He is no longer nameless. He is Atem—and his spirit is agitated.

It was now time to say good bye.

Yugi put the seven millenium items in the stone plate in front of the Weiji eye—the millenium ring, millenium rod, millenium necklace, millenium scale, millenium key, millenium eye, and the Pharaoh's mark: the millenium puzzel, where his spirit was sealed away- the rightful resting place of the Millenium Items to open the gateway. Their hearts froze. When the items are placed on the stone tablet and the ceremonial battle is commenced, the door to the other side will open. Parting is sorrowful. But a real friend must set you free.

"This is the last journey of the Pharaoh," said Marik.

His sister acknowledged. Their tribe has been keeping the memory of thePharaoh for 3,000 years after a fortune teller said that the Pharao will return. And now, their tribe's labor ends as the Pharaoh is about to journey to the afterlife.

"My other self…," uttered Yugi as he is about to place the Millenium Puzzle in the heart of the stone plate. Ever since he solved the Millenium Puzzle, his life was never the same again. The Pharaoh has been living inside his body, and together, they saved the world and played Duel Monsters together. But now, it was time for his closest friend to leave.

Before Yugi was able to take off the Millenium Puzzel which he wore in his neck like a large pendant, the Weiji symbol on the wall glowed along with the stone plate. Suddenly, the temple ground started shaking violently.

"What's this again?" Kaiba gruffed.

"Look!" Tristan pointed to the east part of the temple and there, a stone wedge was rising from the ground.

When the wedge was completely out of the ground, the dust dispersed and the seizure stopped. Yami yugi, the Pharaoh, surfaced from Yugi's body, and all of them came closer to the newly risen wedge. It was blank.

The Weiji eye and the plate stopped glowing. Now, it was Yugi's puzzle that was glowing, its light illuminating the wedge. New hieroglyphic texts were starting to appearing in the stone tablet.

Upon seeng the texts, the Pharaoh was stunned.

"We have never seen these texts before!" exclamed Ishizu.

"What does the wedge say?" Joey asked the Ishtars. Ishizu translated the texts to them.

_" The pieces of memories have returned to the Pharaoh,_

_But some of it are still floating amidst the sea of oblivion._

_The Pharaoh may battle and return and rest._

_Though evil has been uprooted, it has left a seed. And it shall grow once more."_

Everyone was shocked by what they heard. "Darkness will grow again? Does that mean Zorc will—come back?" Tea said trembling.

"No way! We've just defeated him," said Tristan.

More texts rose from the huge stone tablet.

_"Know the origin on the evil._

_Recover the secret. Face the darkness once more._

_Find the memory of the one who gave life to evil so you may crush its seed."_

"What did all of that just mean?" Tea said.

"The wedge permits the Pharaoh to continue on to the spirit world. However, it did warn of the return of evil," Ishizu said. "Zorc might really return. And it seemed Zorc left something."

"The first line of the text said some of your memories are still 'amidst the sea of oblivion'," she continued. "Pharaoh, could your memory be incomplete?

The Pharaoh turned his gaze down and contemplated, worry painted on his face. He was tring to remember everything. "Ha-Have all we've seen in the world of my memories—incomplete?" he asked, holding his head in confusion. "What did we miss?"

Then it hit him. An image came to mind.

Long, golden locks of flowing swept under the majestic shine of the full moon, its ends coiled. A woman was turning away from him. The Pharaoh froze as he remembered. His head hurted.

"Yugi! Are you ok?" his friends started to worry. They still call him 'Yugi', the name of the boy's body he is occupiying.

"My other self! Hang in there!" Yugi called from inside their minds.

On the other side of Egypt, a team of archeologists have just excavated a tomb. After a week's work, they are now packing up one afternoon, accomplishing no new finding and only failure.

"We spent thousands for this research project on this tomb, yet we didn't find anything new!" one researcher grumpily said.

Dr. Charles Hiriyu was part of the research team. He was now packing up his own stuff, taking off his mask. No new discovery, no good news for Aya, he said to himself.

He was an old man in his mid-forties with very light brown hair that used to be darker during his younger days. He also has a mustache which suits well with his research outfits. His tender personality makes him a good team player and a good father to his only child, Aya, a sickly teenage girl.

He took off his coat and held his locket. He opened it and looked at the photo in it. Aya, my sweet child. I wonder how she's doing? He thought to himself happily, excited to see her again.

Suddenly, a violent wind came and swept the whole reseach area.

"It's a sandstorm! Everyone, to the tents!" alerted the head researcher. Dr. Hiriyu clench on his stuff and was about to head to his tent when he saw a dark-skinned Engyptian woman wearing a veil. She was heading to the open field where the large sand dunes are. The sand storm was strong. The tents are almost about to be ripped from its posts.

Dr. Hiriyu abandoned his stuff and went to the woman, trying to save her.

"Dr. Hiriyu! Where are you going?" his colleagues worriedly said.

Struggling from the heavy sand in his legs and the grains of sand flying everywhere, he continued to run for the girl.

"Miss, stop! Don't go any further. It's too dangerous. The sand might bury you alive." he kept shouting to the woman with all his strength while enduring the wind and sand. Still, the woman did not turn.

They were far from the camp now. Dr. Hiriyu was still convicted to rescue the girl. He still kept on calling to her.

A little later, the woman stopped from walking and turned to the archeologist, locks of golden hair escaping from her veil, her emerald eyes set on him.

The wind amplified strength. Amost nothing can be seen anymore exept the sand. The sand was piling up higher and higher on Dr. Hiriyu's legs.

Then, in a moment, the strong wind quieted down and hushed away the sand, trickling back to the ground. Dr. Hiriyu turned everywhere to look for the woman, but she was gone.

The last spectrums of the setting sun made something shine from where the woman stood a while ago. Dr. Hiriyu came to the spot and picked it up from the sand. It was a woman's accessory: a bracelet. It had a weiji eye symbol embossed on it.

"Dr. Hiriyu sir! Are you alright?" shouted his colleagues who followed him through the ravaging sandstorm a while ago.

"Yes. I'm fine," he replied, still confounded.

"We were worried when uou suddenly ran off to the sand dunes all by yourself in a sick weather like that," said another colleague.

"I was trying to halt a lady heading to the dunes. By the way, have you seen her?"

"A lady? We didn't see other persons here. Is the heat coming in to you? Are you hallucinating?"

"No really! There was a lady who came on this very spot a while ago. I think she might have even dropped this bracelet."

They looked closely at the bracelet. "It has a Weiji sign on it. But it still looks average. I thinkyou can easily but one of these at a local merchant's shop," a colleague said. "Come'on, let's get back to the camp. Everyone's been worried about you, Dr. Hiriyu. Please don't do anything rash like that again."

It was a flashback. Dr. Hiriyu was telling the story to a girl in peach pajamas, lying on the hospital bed. "That was my great recent adventure in Egypt," he said proudly.

The girl had golden wavy hair. She was very pale, but her big peridot eyes came to life upon hearing the story. "Wow father! But what happened to the woman?"

"It's a mystery, Aya," said Dr. Hiriyu on a mysterious, joking tone. "But did you know what happened to the bracelet?"

Dr. Hiriyu fumbled something from his bag, and out there, he drew out the bracelet.

"Ta-da!"

Aya's eyes widened. "Wow! For real, father?" Dr. Hiriyu put ont the bracelet on Aya's right wrist. "This is amaizing! Egypt is so amazing! That's where Duel Monsters came from, right father?" the young lass was energetic.

She raised her bracelet up and gazed at the bracelet, her eyes sparkling.

"'Glad you like it, sweetheart," Dr. Hiriyu said with a chuckle.

Even though I can't take you to the places I go Aya and see the whole world, he said to himself, I could never wish for anything more that you may be happy. I wish that from the bottom of my heart. I've been telling you stories since you've been bedridden almost all your life. But I'm willing to explore and tell you a hundred stories more from all over the world just to make you happy.

"Thank you, father!" Aya said and gave him a weak but big hug.

All of a sudden, Aya's breathing became heavy. He let go of her father and held her chest.

"Aya, are you ok?"

She still made a cheerful smile. "I'm ok. This has been going on for a few days now. I'm a bit used to it. It will go away later," she said, trying to put on a happy façade while struggling at every sentence.

Aya suddenly lost all her strength and fell at her bed, panting heavily.

In panic, Dr. Hiriyu shouted for help and a doctor and some nurses immediately came in. He was now standing in horror of the sight of his daughter struggling to survive.

#


	2. Chapter 2: A confluence of souls

**CHAPTER II**

** A confluence of souls**

Struggling. Aya Hiriyu was rushed into the operating room, the doctors and nurses desperately chasing time. Dr. Charles Hiriyu was teary. He was calling out the name of her only daughter who is now wearing an oxygen mask and is gradually losing her life. They have to save the sixteen-year-old girl who was fragile and sickly since her youth.

She was unconscious. Everything was black. She could not lift a finger anymore. She could only hear her weak and slow heartbeat and the voice of her father calling out her name. His voice is getting weaker and weaker until she was deaf. The sounds were echoing throught the darkness.

When they reached the operating room, the doors closed down for Dr. Hiriyu. We wanted to go in and watch over her daughter, but he cannot. He could only cry.

Inside the room, the lights were on Aya's body. They started doing maneuvers, ripping her flesh open and injected and inserted objects into it.

Her heartbeat was beating slower and slower. The staffs were in a hussle. They stared oumping her chest, counting, and then pumping it again.

The machine that indicated her heartbeat was not showing any sign of improvement. Then, the line on it became straight and making only a small thin, continuous beep.

"Clear!" declared a nurse and hastily placed two iron-like apparatus into Aya's chest which made the body tremble. They kept repeating the process.

In Aya's subconscious, she was falling. Falling into the darkness, her weak body helpless. Hologram-like images were appearing before her. She was having flashbacks.

She saw her moments with her mother as an infant. How she carresed her, her mother's golden locks dangling around. She saw her child self, she was loved and taken cared of by that woman.

The image now showed of her mother wearing a wreath and lying in an ivory coffin. The young Aya wailed as her father was comforting her.

Another image flashed. A young Aya in white blouse and twin pigtails happily playing in the school's sandbox. When she and her father got home, sh suddenly fainted. Her father panicked and rushed her to the hospital.

When she gained consciousness, her blurry eyes saw her father's back. He was talking to someone over the phone.

"Yes professor. I'm quitting my job. I'll pass my resignation letter on your desk tomorrow morning," her father said to the other line. "This is for Aya."

Then clicked the Phone.

"Father," Aya uttered. Her father immediately turned to her. Dr. Hiriyu immediately responded and was happiest to see that her daughter has regained conscoiusness.

"Thank heavens you're awake now Aya!"

"Father… Please don't quit on your job," Aya said. Her father was stunned.

"But Aya, I want to always be there for you, to take care of you and be there when you need me. I can't be travelling anywhere while you're like this."

Aya held her father's hand. "I know I'm sickly father. But I can handle myself. There are also the friendly nurses to take care of me."

"I love hearing your stories too, father. Your stories from all over the world. Stories of new facts and discoveries, first told to me even before they get published into books," she continued. "Please don't give up on doinf what you love. You are my eyes to see the rest of the world and the undiscovered. And seeing you do the things you love makes me happy and that's what keeps me alive and well."

"Aya…"

"Promise me you won't quit, ok?"

He held her gently and tenderly. "Alright, Aya. But I also promise to go straight to the hospital for you after every trip."

Another image came to one corner. Aya spent most of her days in the hospital and taken care by nurses. She gets to go home when her father is in town.

In the hospital, she made friends with the other patients and played Duel Monsters with them, even with the older ones, since it is the most popular game in town. They would play the game on a board laid in a table. The other patients would flock around them when they are playing.

In that image, Aya and a boy were playing Duel Monsters in their pajamas. The Mystical Elf was in defense position and the Ancient Elf was on attack position on Aya's side of the field. Her opponent had Steel Ord Groto #2 in his field. Aya drew a card from her deck.

"I summon Harpie's Brother in attack position," said Aya, summoning a monster of 1,800 attack points. "Then I equip it with Gust Fan that makes his attack points increase by 400 points.

Aya declared an attack to the Steel Orge Groto #2 which has an attack of 1,900. Subtracting the total attack points of Harpie's Brother, which is 2,200, to the attack points of the oppoenent's monters, the damage on the boy's life points is 300 points.

"Your life points are now zero," Aya said. "That means I win!"

"Oh man! Aya-san, you're so good at this game. I still can't beat you," said the boy.

"You will beat me someday. It's not really much because of me. It's because of the cards."

"The cards, huh?" The boy leared closer at his Steel Orge Groto #2 card. "Great duelists said we should trust and believe in the heart of the cards. So they really have heart, don't they?"

"Yeah, that's why I love this game so much!" said Aya.

Another image came. Every afternoon, Aya would glance through the hospital window from her bed and see students walking home from home to school. She wished she was one of them. She used to also go to school until her condition got worse. Instead of school, she does home schooling with a teacher visiting her at the hospital.

During idle times, she would read books. Her Duel Monste cards also kept her company. Yet, her heart still yearned to live and be a normal teenager: go out with friends, hangout, karaoke, shopping, and sleepovers.

She did have a friend, Miria Claus. She was a childhood classmate who visited her in the hospitalonce every so often. She was a young girl with short, black hair.

She would update Aya about anything new that is why she could cope with the revolving world though stuck in the hospital.

On Aya's sicteenth birthday, Miria came and handed Aya a big box wrapped in red.

"Happy birthday Aya! Open your present now!" Miria jumpily said.

Aya was sitting on her bed, a Kuriboh plushie in her arms. She wondered about the big red box and got it from Miria's hands And unwrapped it.

"Whoa! A Duel Disk! A latest Kaiba Corporation product, just like what I saw on TV!" Aya happily said.

"Yup, so we can make Duel Monsters more fun," Miria said. She took out her own Duel Disk. "Wanna give your new Duel Disk a go?"

"You betcha!"

Just then, Dr. Hiriyu came in. "Hold it there young ladies. Open my gift first, Aya." He game the girl a small pink box embelished with a ribbon.

Aya carefully opened it. Her eyes widened in the sight of a Duel Monster card: The Sorcerrer Elyon, spellcaster monster card with an attack on 2,500 and defense of 1,800. It has a special effect where its attack increases by 350 points for every spellcaster and light-type monster on the field and the graveyard. It also dispells any trap or spell card used against it. Aya was ecstatic.

They now ran to the Hospital's backyard and dueled with their Duel Disks. In the middle of the duel, Aya first summoned Sorcerer Elyon.

Many more images came forward in Aya's subconscious. She was continually falling. Tears started to well up fom her eyes as she remembered everything. She felt it—it was time for her to go.

Then out of the darkness, a light pierced in and shined. A spirit of a woman appeared, reaching out her hand to her. Her hair was golden and flowing, its ends are coiled in locks. Her emerald eyes were strong and sharp on her dark skin, looking straight at Aya. Her clothes were ancient, and her face and hair was covered by a veil.

"Don't give up!" the woman called. "Stay strong."

Aya felt the world stop. She felt nostalgic about the woman, though she never met her yet. "My battle is over, I guess," she told the woman. "I am tired already," and turned her sight away from her.

She held the womans hand that was reaching her. "Please tell my father I'm sorry. And I wish nothing lesser for him than happiness. The woman felt a sad sensation. Then, Aya smiled, looked once more at the lady. "Goodbye."

She then let go of the hand and plunged deeper in the darkness.

"Aya!" the spirit cried to her. But Aya was now out of sight.

She looked up and saw another light piercing from the darkness above.

In the hospital emergency room, it was quiet. The doctors and nurses silently grieved: they have taken care of that child since she was little. Aya has been with them for a long time, and now, only a dead body is before them.

"7:45pm, time of death. Please register it in the log, nurse," the doctor said. The nurse was suppresing her tears. She was about to cover Aya's face with cloth.

Suddenly, the body's fingers twitched.

"Doctor!" the nurse exclaimed. Her eyes twitched as well, and color of red is returning to her lips nd her cheeks. Her hearbeat was starting up.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, and its color changed from Peridot to Emerald.

Her vision was very blurr, but the doctors and nurses put on the oxygen mask back to her and focused back the lights which blinded her. She lost consciousness again and her vision became black.

Meanwhile, Yugi and his friends have finally returned to Domino City from Egypt. The Pharaoh decided not to head to the spirit world yet—not with the threat that has been revealed to them. He continually lived inside Yugi's body through the millenium puzzle.

It was already evening, and Yugi was back in his room. The Pharaoh surfaced from his body. He took off his coat and sat on the bed and pondered deeply at the message of the wedge.

"My other self…" Yugi was worried about his partner, the Pharaoh.

"After 3,000 years, Yugi. Why did the message show up just this time? So we really haven't defeated Zorc yet, and Horakhthy's power wasn't enough," said the Pharaoh in disdain. "On top of that, the memory I recovered wasn't enough. There were actually some pieces missing in what we saw in the world of my memories. I tried to remember everything again when the wedge said that I had some more memories missing."

"And the wedge was right," continued the Pharaoh anxiously. "Yugi, I feel like I never remembered anything at all. I feel like I never recovered anything!"

Suddenly, a piece of the Millenium Puzzle fell and dropped on the floor. Yugi and the Pharaoh were shocked.

"The puzzle—broke?!" said Yugi in shock. "That is a part of your heart. Are you alright my other self?"

The Pharaoh as shocked as well, but he kept composure. "Yes, I'm ok, Partner."

The Pharaoh picked up the piece from the floor and held it in his palm, pondering on it. He tried to remember more details about the image he has seen after the wedge rose: The woman with long, flowing hair, its golden locks coiled in the ends. The woman who turned away from his under the brilliance of the moon.

Who could that person be? The Pharaoh deeply thought. What does she have to do with the message of the wedge.

Back in the hospital, the girl who was thought to be dead was returned to her hospital room. Emerald eyes were slowly opening again. It saw a blurry image of anold man with very light brown hair who was anticipating her to regain consciousness.

"Aya!" the old man called to her.

The girl stood up slowly, speechless and still strained. She held her head with her palm.

Dr. Hiriyu immediately caressed her gently in happiness. His heart almost died upon almost losing his daughter. The girl was caught by surprise, feeling that the embrase was foreign. "I thought I'd lose you Aya."

He then parted from her to take a better look at the girl and was suddenly shocked: she seemed different. Her eyes had strength on them. It wasn't the same stare as his daughter's. He became hesitant. The girl noticed.

However, Dr. Hiriyu got back again. It would be impossible, though Dr. Hiriyu. This is Aya. My one and only Aya. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

The girl was still in mild turmoil. She turned to the glass window, the outside was already evening. In the glass, she saw the reflection of a girl in peach pajamas, lying in the hospital bed—golden flowing hair, its ends coiled in locks and bangs covering her forehead. A pair of strong, emerald eyes were staring at her. She was confounded. It was no longer a pair of innocent, kind, peridot eyes. The girl trembled.

I'm in Aya's body! The girl thought.

She lifted her right wrist and saw the Millenium Bracelet clamped in there. #


	3. Chapter 3: An encounter

**CHAPTER III**

**An encounter**

She looked at her palms, her new body. The Millenium Bracelet was in her right wrist. The new soul in Aya's body was at a loss. Still, she did her best to remain composed.

I cannot be in turmoil now, she said to herself, looking at the father of her host. "I'm fine now, father," she told Dr. Charles Hiriyu.

Dr. Hiriyu still felt his child feeling bothered.

"Aya, here's your dinner. You must be starved, my dear. After all, you just got better," Dr. Hiriyu said, placing the food tray in Aya's lap while she sat on her bed.

One by one, he placed the plates and glasses on the bed table.

"You know, Aya, I'm getting a bit tired with my job already," Dr. Hiriyu said with a flat expression on his face. Aya looked at him. "I'm thinking of opening a small shop in front of our house. I want to try being a businessman for a change. With me always at home, we'll have all the time to be together and I could take care of you—"

The girl lightly held his wrist as he was putting the plates. He stopped.

"I'm so sorry, father," she uttered, a bit reluctant. "I'm so sorry for making you worry like that. I'm so sorry for breaking your heart, almost."

Aya looked straight at him with sincerity. "Please don't stop with your work. Please don't stop doing the things that make you happy. Your happiness is my joy too."

She smiled towards him. "I promise to be healthier, Father. I won't worry you anymore. But don't ever stop with your work. Will you promise?"

"Oh, Aya," Dr. Hiriyu patted the girl's head, a bit teary. He looked at her unfamiliar eyes.

Aya would have wanted this, the girl thought. With Aya gone, I have to live out her existence…

The doctors were shocked upon seeing Aya's health tests: there were no more signs of any sickliness in her anymore and was almost perfectly healthy. It also showed in her progress during the next days after she almost died fighting for her life days ago. A miracle, they exclaimed.

The new Aya was coping with her new life and body as well. An Aya starting all over again. With pieces of Aya's memories on her mind, she was able to play along well. She wasn't as cheerful as her host, but she talked to people Aya knew and went along.

On her bed's table, she picked up Aya's deck of Duel Monsters and looked at each one of the card.

I see. So they took the KA from the ancient wedges and turned them into Duel Monster cards, thought Aya.

Her eyes flashed upon picking up the card Sorcerer Elyon.

On the side of her bed, she saw Aya's Duel Disk. "A _Dia Diank_?" Aya said. "The times have just progressed, but everything else seemed almost the same. In that case…"

She took out the equipment spell card Gust Fan. She looked at the Millenium Bracelet clamped at her right wrist. Then, she closed her eyes for a while and out of the card, she was now holding a large fan. The card was summoned out to real life.

She waved the fan a bit and it vanished into thin air.

Then she pulled the Millenium Bracelet closer to her chest. "Then my journey begins…"

A few days later, Aya was finally discharged from the hospital. Going out of the hospital doors for the first time, she was amazed at the outside. She was not wearing her peach-colored pajamas anymore but a black top and a white cardigan matched with a red skirt and loose, knee-high socks and red shoes. The sunrays felt warm on her skin. Aya was out on the modern times.

On the road, she gazed through the car window to see the world. There, she silentl marveled at the tall buildings, the swooping jets in the sky, people dressed differently than in her era and are walking while pressing on a small device. Others are talking on these devices too.

In the park, she saw some children playing Duel Monsters with their Duel Disks, summoning holographic monsters.

"I'm so happy with what the doctors said about your health, Aya," said Dr. Hiriyu while clutching on the steering wheels. "It's like you never got sick at all! I can't believe it!"

Then he pointed to Domino High School. Classes have just ended and students were starting to come out from the campus. "You see that school, Aya? You always wanted to go to school and be a regular kid, didn't you?" Aya was astonished. "Let's get you enrolled there and get you back to school. What do you say?"

The images of Aya's memories watching students pass by the hospital after school came to her. Through the hospital window, she would just watch them pass by, wishing to be like them.

"That would be great, father!" Aya replied.

Dr. Hiriyu was excited for her daughter. Aya could only wish the real Aya could enjoy these right now.

Aya lived at their house, doing house chores and living out like a regular girl. Friends visited her from time to time. She knew them, thought she have just met them for the first time.

She would also go out from time to time to search for clues about her so called 'quest'. At first, her father would insist on coming along, still a bit worried about her daughter who had been sickly. But she could now go out on her own. Her father was happy about how healthy she is. Still, it bothered him a bit that she has somehow changed.

Aya passed by the Game Shop in search. Through its glass windows, she saw Egyptian relics displayed on the glass catalogue. A clue, probably, she thought. She entered the ahop and the bell chimed.

Inside the shop, she saw posters of Duel Monsters.

"A customer! 'Just a sec!" said a voice of a boy that came from the second floor of the Shop.

"I got it, Yugi," said an old man who was just coming out from the door near the cash box. "Hello young lady. How may I help you?" he turned to Aya.

Upon seeing him, she froze for a while as if she used to know the old man before.

He can't be him. It's been 3,000 years, she thought. Reincarnation? Or does fate move like this?

"Oh," Aya came closer to the glass pane to take a better look at the relics. "Are these Egyptian relics?"

"I see you are interested," said the old man. He seemed to be the owner of the Game Shop. "I found those when I was still strong and out there exploring tombs in Egypt. They are not for sale though," He chuckled. "So lass, what would it be?"

"These did come from Egypt. But I'm afraid what I'm looking for is not here," Aya replied, standing up from looking at the glass pane.

"Is that so? Well, what are you looking for, miss? I might be able to help"

"A certain Egyptian relic. But I really can't tell you what. But I'll come visit again. Surely. Thank you," Aya bowed with her left fist on her chest. Then she suddenly snapped back realizing that she had just made an Egyptian bow. Panicking a bit, she immediately headed to the door and left.

"What an odd girl," the old man remarked with a chuckle.

Yugi then came out of the door near the cashier. "I'm meeting up with Joey and the others. Bye grandpa!"

He headed to the door and left. Behind him, heading to the opposite direction, was Aya.

It was already sunset so Aya went back home. There, her father was cooking for dinner, wearing an apron and a ladle in his hand, trying to taste the soup set in the stove.

"Hello sweetheart. How was your day?" Dr. Hiriyu greeted cheerfully.

"It's great father. I loved walking around the city," Aya replied happily and turned to her room.

Upon closing the door, her smile disappered and she became somber.

No clue found, she thought and let out a disappointed sigh.

Dr. Hiriyu was finding Aya's behaviour odd as well and became serious after Aya came inside her room.

Her eyes have certsinly changed, he thought. Well, she's been bed-ridden. She's just enjoying her youth! She's trying things she has never tried before! What am I thinking!

The next morning, Aya was facing the mirror, putting on her blue ribbon. She is clad in Domino High School uniform: pink coat with blue ribbon, blue skirt, loose knee-high socks, and black shoes. She looked at her eyes with a determined look. Later, she picked up her brown case-like bag and left.

Her dad drove her to school. She stepped out of the car and took one last look at her father through the car window.

"Good luck in there, sweetheart! Have fun," then he left.

Aya turned to the school façade. The morning sun was pouring on Aya's golden hair, its curled locks blown softly by the wind. She gripped her bag tighter and started walking to the school building. Miria suddenly showed from the back and grabbed her arm, greeting her. They walked together.

Inside the room, Aya's name was written on the board.

"Class," said the homeroom teacher. "Please welcome your new classmate,"

"My name's Aya Hiriyu. Nice to meet you all," she said to the class curtly with a Japanese bow.

"Very well, Hiriyu. Take your seat in that empty desk besides Wheeler."

Aya walked through the room. She stowed her bag beside her table and took a seat which was near the window. At her left, Joey Wheeler is sleepy and is still yawning, his head leaning in his hand.

After class, Miria went to Aya's classroom to find that she was not in there anymore. "Oh, maybe she already went home."

Aya was actually strolling around the campus and the hallways. She passed by a room and saw her classmate Joey in that room, laughing with some friends. They were Teá Gardner, Tristan Taylor, Duke Devlin, and Yugi Moto. She saw Yugi's back and stared at it for a while. She left a bit later.

She found herself now on the school rooftop. There, she leaned and clutched on the cyclone wires and saw the whole Domino City. She was thinking deeply. The wind was blowing in her face.

This is a big city, she thought. How am I going to find him?

Suddenly, the weiji eye on her Millenium Bracelet glowed unusually. She was alerted.

A strong gust blew.

Back in Joey and the rest, the group saw a hoard of Tyhone Duel Monsters suddenly swoop in the window, flying upward.

"Did you guys see that?!" said Duke in shock.

"What was that?!" said Teá.

"A group of Tyhones. Where were they going?" said Joey.

"Maybe there are just some students Dueling somewhere in the campus?" said Tristan.

"No," said Yugi. "Those are too many Tyhones to be summoned for a game of Duel Monsters. Let's check the rooftop."

Up in the rooftop, Aya is confronted by the hoard of Tyhones. She watched cautiously. The monsters' noses are steaming, ready to attack.

"Where did these come from?" said Aya.

Some Tyhones attacked. Aya ran and dodged the attack. Another breathed fire at her, but she dodged.

She took a card out of her deck and raised it up.

"Ancient Elf!" Aya summoned. Ancient Elf came out from the card and into the rooftop. "Attack those Tyhones! Ancient fire!" Fire came out from its cane and took down some Tyhones.

She drew another card and summoned forth the equipment card, Salamandra sword. She held the sword with both hands, flame glistering from its edge.

She charged at the Tyhones and started slashing them one by one.

Yugi and his friends finally reached the rooftop and were shocked at the sight of the Tyhones attacking Aya and the Ancient Elf.

"This clearly isn't a duel," said Teá.

"Hey! That's out new classmate, Aya Hiriyu!" said Joey.

"We've got to help her," said Duke. "The Tyhones' feasting on her."

Yami Yugi, the spirit of the Pharaoh, surfaced from Yugi. He took out the Dark Magician from his cards and raised it up.

"Go forth, Mahad!"

From the card came out the Dark Magician. "You summoned me, Pharaoh."

"Yes," said the Pharaoh. "Take out these Tyhones." Mahad, the Dark Magician, brandished his long wand.

"Mahad, Magic bombs!" the Pharaoh commanded.

Orbs of magic came from Dark Magician's wand and hit on each of the Tyhones, catching Aya by surprise. The attack left a cloud of smoke.

Slowly, the cloud was dispersing. Aya saw a sillouhuet of six people. The black magician was levitating from the ground.

Then, she saw a familiar face. She was stupefied.

She looked straight and at a loss at the boy who was wearing the glowing Millenium Puzzle. Step by step, she walked closer to the boy and his friends. She was beside herself with happiness and bewilderment; her strong, emerald eyes open in awe.

"You are—"

#


End file.
